Friction-clutch



(No Model.)

S. P. WATT. FRICTION OLUTGH. No. 427,646. P tented Ma. 13, 1890.

FISH Fig-2.

1 //vv A/TOH 5R By (D ATTORNEY.

UNiTEn STATES ATENT rri'cn.

SERN P. WATT, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,646, dated May 13,1890.

Serial No. 322,726. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SEEN P. lVATT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and usef ul Improvement in Friction Clutches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement in friction-clutches forbelt-wheels of that class wherein shoes supported from the wheelshaftare made to engage with the wheel and impart motion thereto; and theobjects of my invention are to provide a device of this class ofsuperior construction, whereby a rigid connection may be readily andeasily produced between the shaft an d a wheel loosely mounted thereon,to connect with the shaft fixed and movable shoe-supporting arms, and tocombine therewith means for operating the shoes which will result in aparallel or corresponding motion of said shoes when the same are engagedor disengaged. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section ofthe shaft, showing a belt-wheel thereon, and showing the clutch-shoes inengagement with said wheel-rim. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken online at x of Fig. 1, omitting the means for operating the toggle-ring.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken 011 line y y of Fig. 1, showing thewheel locked on the shaft. Fig. is a similar view showing the shoesdisconnected from the shaft. Fig. 5 is a view in de tail of the shoes,and Fig. 6 is a section taken on line o o of Fig. 5.

Similar letters refer to similar parts thro ughout the several views.

For convenience in description of my invention I will refer to that sideof the wheel from which projects the hub as the rear side.

A represents a horizontal shaft, having loosely mounted thereon one ormore beltwheels (4. Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft A,within the rim of the wheel and on that side of the spokes opposite thehub, is the central hub of. a metallic arm I). The fixed arm I) is of alength somewhat less than the diameter of the wheel and has projectingforward from its respective ends short pins b 12 Loosely surrounding thehub of the arm I) is the central hub of an arm 0, correspond ing in formwith the arm I). This arm 0 has projecting rez'trwardly from itsrespective ends short pins 0 (2 These pins 0' c terminate in closeproximity to the pins 7) 12 0f the arms b, as shown.

d d represent the shoes, each of which eonsists, as shown, of a metallicarm or plate curved to'conform to the curve of the inner surface of thewheel-rim. From the inner face of each of these shoe-plates is made toextend inwardly two arms, said arms projectin respectively, fromopposite ends of said shoes. 7

Although the shoes (1 (Z and their arms correspond in size and form, Iwill, for the sake of clearness of description, refer to the arms of theshoe (Z as e and the arms of the shoe (1 as f.

As shown in the drawings, the shoes are located on opposite sides of theshaft, and, as hereinafter described, are made to clamp against theinner surface of the wheel-rim at opposite points.

The end of one of the shoe-arms e is pivotally connected, as shown, withthe pin 0' of the loose arm 0. The remaining arm 6 is simi larlyconnected with the pin b of the fixed arm Z). The end of one of theshoe-arms f is pivotally connected with the pin Z) of the fixed arm,while the remaining arm f is pivotally connected with the pin 0 of theloose arm o.

By the above-described connection of the shoe and shaft arms it will beseen that each shoe is connected with a fixed and loose shaftarm, andthat when said shoes are drawn inward from the wheel-rim, as hereinafterdescribed, a parallel motion of said shoes will be attained.

1 represents a clutchring loosely surrounding the shaft A in front ofthe arms 0 and b. This ring, as shown in the drawings, has formedtherewith and projecting rcarwardly from its rear end and from oppositesides thereof two short arms g, which, when the brakeshoes are inengagement with the wheelrim, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,loosely embrace the hub of the outer arm 0. A similar pair of ring-armsmay be made to extend forwardly, as shown, from the forward end ofthering, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

72 h represent toggle-arms. The inner ends of these toggle-arms are, asshown, connected by a toggle-joint with the ends of therearwardly-extending ring-arms g, while their outer ends arerespectively connected in a similar manner with lugs (1 projectinginwardly from the inner faces of the shoes (Z d at the center of thelength thereof.

Formed about the center of the ring g is a peripheral channel or groovei, which forms a seat for a ring 76, which loosely surrounds said ring 9between the circumferential shoulders thereon formed by said groove 1'.This outer ring 7o may be formed of two connected sections, and hasformed therewith and projecting therefrom at opposite points short pins,shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. With each of these ring-pins ispivotally connected, as shown, the upper end of a shortdownwardly-extending operating-arm m. The lower end of theseoperating-arms 777, are rigidly connected with a horizontaloperatingshaft a, running at right angles with and beneath the shaft A,and having suitable bearings p, projecting from the flooring or otherframe-work. From one of the outer ends of the operating-shaft n extendsupwardly a lever-arm q, as shown.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: Thebrake-shoes being clamped against the inner surface of the wheel-rim,and the fixed and movable shaft-arms b and 0 being parallel, one infront of the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it willbe seen that owing to the alternate connection of the shoe-arms c and fwith said fixed and movable shaft-arms, as above described, a rigidconnection of shaft A and the wheelrim is formed, and the motion of theformer thus communicated to the latter. The rotation of the brake-shoeswith the wheel-rim will, through the toggle-arms, produce a similarrotation of the toggle-ring 9 about the shaft and within the ring 7r.

' It being desired to discontinue the motion of the wheel a and todisconnect the rim of the same from the brake-shoes and through thelatter from the shaftA, this may be readily accomplished by forcingforward the lever g, which through the shaft 91 and arm on and theconnection of the latter with the ring 7c will operate to cause the ringg to slide forward upon the shaft A. This forward movement of the ring gwill, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, operate to draw forward theinner ends of the toggle-arms, which movement will result in the inwardmovement of the shoes cl d, thus releasing the latter from the rim ofthe wheel.

The above-mentioned inward movement of the brake-shoes, owing to theherein-described connection of one of the arms of each of the shoeswiththe fixed shaft-arm and the connection of the remaining shoe-arm withthe loose shaft-arm, as will be seen, will operate to produce a slightmotion of the loose shaftarm 0.

As shown in the drawings hereinbefore mentioned, the ring g may beprovided at its forward end with a second pair of arms g which, ifdesired, may be made to operate a second pair of toggle arms and shoesin connection with a second belt-wheel loosely mounted on shaft A, asdescribed, for the wheel c.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a friction-clutch and the means for op erating the same, thecombination, with a wheel loosely mounted on shaft A, of arm I), fixedon said shaft, arm c,'loosely mounted thereon, brake-shoes d (1, eachhaving a pair of arms pivotally connected, respectively, with the fixedand loose arms I; and c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a friction-clutch, the combination, with a wheel a, looselymounted on shaft A, of fixed shaft-arm h, and loose shaft-arm c, mountedon shaft A, brake-shoes cl d, each having a pair of arms pivotallyconnected, respectively, with said loose and fixed shaftarms, ringhaving arms g and toggle-arms h connecting, as described, ring g andbrakeshoes cl (1, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

BARTON GRIFFITH, R. M. WEAVER.

